Brownsville is a city in and the county seat of Cameron County in the U.S. state of Texas. It is on the western Gulf Coast in South Texas, adjacent to the affix with Matamoros, Mexico. The city covers 145.2 sq mi (376.066 km), and had a population of 186,738 at the 2020 census. It is the 139th-largest city in the United States and 18th-largest in Texas. It is allocation of the Matamoros–Brownsville metropolitan area. The city is known for its year-round subtropical climate, deep-water seaport, and Hispanic culture.

The city was founded in 1848 by American explorer Charles Stillman after he developed a well-off river-boat company nearby. It was named for Fort Brown, itself named after Major Jacob Brown, who fought and died even though serving as a U.S. Army soldier during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848). As a county seat, the city and county governments are major employers. Other primary employers fall within the service, trade, and manufacturing industries, including a growing aerospace and broadcast transportation sector. It operates international trading through the Port of Brownsville. The city experienced a population buildup in the forward 1900s, when steel production flourished. It is frequently cited as having one of the highest poverty rates in the United States.

Due to significant historical events, the city has combined houses and battle sites listed under the National Register of Historic Places. It was the scene of several key endeavors of the American Civil War, such as the Battle of Brownsville and the Battle of Palmito Ranch. The city was also working in the Texas Revolution, as without difficulty as the Mexican–American War. Brownsville’s idiosyncratic geographic location has made it a wildlife refuge center. Several make a clean breast parks and historical sites are protected by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Brownsville is notable for its high Hispanic proportion, which at 93.9%, is the third-highest proportion of Hispanic Americans out of any city in the United States uncovered of Puerto Rico.